


Burning Red

by OrangeVanilla



Category: Game Grumps, markiplier - Fandom
Genre: M/M, Mentions of Blood, Mentions of Sex, bc nothing says 'hot hot tamale' like vampire mark amirite, tags might be added w/the next chapter, vampire!Mark
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-24
Updated: 2015-10-24
Packaged: 2018-04-27 23:21:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5068813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OrangeVanilla/pseuds/OrangeVanilla
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mark has a secret he needs to share.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Burning Red

Mark can’t help but sweat as he waits for Dan to get home. He’s not sure if he’s ever been this anxious about telling anyone anything, including when he had to come out _and_ when he had to admit to Ross that he’d had sex with Dan on his couch. But they’ve been living together for three months now, and Mark gets that he totally needs to tell Dan now before things get out of hand. 

The lock of the door clicks open quietly and Mark jumps to stand from his place on the couch, running a shaky hand through his silky pink hair and forcing a smile as Dan steps in, bags visibly full of groceries in both hands. “Hey, man,” the taller of the two men smiles easily, closing the door and raising an eyebrow as Mark replies with a blank stare. “Hellooo?”

“Sorry, hi, I just... my head’s everywhere,” Mark gushes, following Dan as he heads into the kitchen and pressing a chaste kiss to his lips. He takes the groceries from the elder man’s hands, peering inside and smiling at the sight of around 6 cans of whipped cream and a few cartons of strawberries. “Nice shopping skills. I can totally work with this.”

“Obviously. Who needs sustenance when you can have sex?” Dan grins, hopping up to sit on the counter comfortably and wraps his legs around Mark’s waist, successfully trapping him. Mark hums and rests his hands on Dan’s thighs, kneading idly as he gazes up at the taller man like he’s a mythical creature, rather than his boyfriend with a mouthful of tic-tacs. Dan runs his hands through Mark’s hair, combing them through a few small tangles and scratching gently. “You said you needed to talk? I’m kinda hoping it’s about collars, because I could totally go for some pet play right about now.”

Mark blushes heavily, shaking his head and biting his lip. “I need to tell you something really important, actually. It’s kind of a secret,” the pink haired man admits, resting his cheek against Dan’s knee and glancing up at his boyfriend, who’s still stroking and petting Mark contentedly. In Dan’s mind, they’re still totally gonna end up banging later with Mark collared and chained and panting, because it’s a Tuesday. They always do this on Tuesday. 

“C’mon, baby, ‘fess up. What fetishes have you been exploring?” Dan asks fondly, reaching in to the grocery bag and retrieving a can of whipped cream in hope of hinting to Mark that even if he reveals that he’s a tentacle monster with a craving for human flesh, they’re still gonna have rad sex. Mark swallows hard and stands up fully, being stopped in his attempt to step back by Dan’s legs still firm around his waist. “...is something wrong, lovely?”

“I’m a little scared,” Mark murmurs, appreciating how Dan almost immediately unwraps his legs from his waist to hop down from the counter, pulling him into a tender embrace and rubbing his back in slow circles, whispering little reassurances into his ear. Mark feels so safe. He never wants to leave Dan’s arms, but the daunting secret handing over his head is too much to hold in for any longer. “D’you promise you won’t hit me?” Mark’s voice is small against Dan’s shoulder, terrified.

“Of course I won’t, Mark. I adore you,” Dan assures him, resting a hand at the small of his back and massaging gently, knowing it’s one of the easiest ways to relax the younger man. Mark takes a deep breath and steps away from Dan, heading into the living room and returning swiftly with something in his hands, motioning for Dan to look, which he does. The elder man’s brows furrow. “I-...”

“D’you get it?”

“You’re reading Twilight?”

Mark sighs softly and sets the book down on the counter, internally cursing himself for trying to tell Dan his secret without having to actually say it. The copy of the tween novel wasn’t worth the $1.49 he paid for it, because it didn’t even work. “Dan, I’m... I’m kind of a vampire?”

A heavy silence follows, in which Mark feels like his insides might actually begin turning to acid or lava or maybe just regular poison, because Dan’s face literally doesn’t change for at least half a minute. The taller of the two glances between Mark and the copy of Twilight wordlessly, his mind at a complete loss. “Are you okay, Mark? Are you feeling well?” he asks the pink haired man, who sighs heavily and nods.

“I’m feeling fine, Dan, I just- can’t explain it in any other way.” Mark sighs, running a shaking hand through his hair and watching Dan’s face soften slightly. Things are going better than expected, at least. Confusion is better than terror.

“No, but like... do you have a fever, babe?” Dan asks while pressing a hand to Mark’s forehead, his confusion increasing as he feels that the younger man’s skin is normal temperature. Abnormally normal. For someone claiming to be a vampire, Mark seems pretty relaxed. “Am I meant to just believe this, or is Dracula gonna come through the door and give me a little back story?”

“I can prove it, I guess. But don’t flip,” Mark’s voice is unusually quiet, a shaky undertone making Dan want to wrap his arms around the obviously nervous man and squeeze him tight. Dan nods, leaning against the counter and waiting for Mark to indeed prove that he’s a bloodsucking creature of the night and not just a pastel sunrise. Mark grits his teeth and bares them, and Dan’s about to break the news that Mark’s teeth are just teeth when his canines just kind of _grow_ suddenly. 

“What the fuck. Mark, you-... what the fuck?” Dan whispers, debating whether it would be wise to lean in closer and try poking one of the apparent fangs now present in Mark’s mouth or whether he might end up mauled. Mark blushes softly, closing his mouth and averting his gaze. Dan steps forward, placing a finger under Mark’s chin and tilting his head up. “This is really a thing?”

“Uh-huh.” Mark breathes, his stomach flipping at the contact. Oh my god, Dan’s not afraid to touch him. This might actually work out. Dan sighs softly, pressing a kiss to Mark’s hair and wrapping a hand around his waist, pulling him close, even if a little gingerly. “It-... it’th really a thing.”

“Oh my god, you get a lisp with your fangs?” Dan smiles, the initial alarm of the fact that his boyfriend is actually an actual real life vampire subsiding as Mark blushes heavily and nods. He’s not sure whether to laugh or cry. He’s dating a vampire with a speech impediment. 

“It’th hard to talk with fangth, Dan,” Mark whines, nestling his face in the crook of Dan’s neck and widening his eyes as he realises that this probably isn’t the best place for his mouth to be after coming out as a vampire. Dan excuses it, kissing Mark’s shoulder and chewing his bottom lip as he notices how the younger man is shaking like a leaf against him.

“Are you okay? You’re kind of vibrating,” Dan murmurs against Mark’s skin, causing the pink haired man to blush and step away. Dan notices the fangs have been retracted, and he’s more than glad, because even if he loves Mark to pieces he’s not sure if he can get used to huge pointy teeth just yet. He notices how small Mark looks, how vulnerable. “Bedroom. You relax; I’ll be with you in a second.”

Mark doesn’t have the energy to object, instead doing as he’s told and padding quietly into their bedroom, breathing deeply in a feeble attempt to calm himself down. He’s not sure if it’s the anxiety of the whole situation or how close he was to being able to drink from Dan, but Mark feels about ready to collapse on the fluffy white rug and curl up and never look at anyone ever again. He’s been close to Dan before, obviously. But he’s never been so close to Dan with his canines all pointy and ready to draw blood, and the pink haired man swears he felt a primal need in the pit of his belly to just _bite_. 

When Dan enters the bedroom with a glass of water in his hand for Mark, he finds the younger man lying down on the rug, curled up and sniffling like a child. He kneels beside him, offering him the glass of water and smiling softly as Mark takes it and sips quietly. “Do I need to get you special ice cream now, or can vampires live with plain old human desserts?” Dan jokes, earning a weak laugh from the pink haired man as he rolls onto his back and looks up at Dan with glazed eyes. The elder man rubs Mark’s belly gently, receiving noises of content in response. 

“I’m sorry for being on the floor. I’m just overwhelmed,” Mark admits quietly, setting the glass of water aside and curling his legs up. Dan gives him a sympathetic nod, joining him to lie down and staring at the ceiling quietly.

“Same here. I mean, you’re like-... a vampire.” Dan realises pointlessly, like the last five minutes are only just settling in, or he had only just understood the whole fangs thing. His boyfriend is an actual vampire, and still he’s lying next to him on the fluffy rug like a kitten. Dan had hoped for pet play, and he got a mythical creature. Bats don’t wear collars. Dan kinda wishes Mark was a werekitten. “Can I ask questions, or is that insensitive? I don’t know the culture.”

“Questions are healthy; I’d rather you asking questions than you wondering if I’m a murderer.”

“... _are_ you a murderer?”

“No, Dan. I’m not a murderer.” Mark rolls his eyes, yawning softly and stretching. Dan can’t help but peer into Marks mouth, just to see if his canines are any different to normal, and they do kinda look a tiny bit pointier if he squints. “Stop looking at my teeth.”

“How long have you been a vampire?” Dan inquires, budging to lie across Mark and tracing patterns on his chest. Mark squints in thought, pursing his lips and humming softly.

“Six years, I think? Feels like six years,” Mark observes, gaining a gasp from Dan in response as it clicks that they’re one and a half years into a relationship and Mark has been a vampire the entire time. They’ve been living together for three months and for the whole time, Mark has been keeping the biggest secret ever. Wow, Dan’s pride hurts, and Mark seems to pick up on it, by the hand that begins stroking through the elder man’s hair and tickling at his scalp gently. “It’s nothing against you. You’re actually the first person I’ve ever told. It’s not like I don’t trust you, I just... needed to plan.”

“Wait, your family don’t even know?” Dan frowns, swallowing hard when Mark shakes his head solemnly. “Man, that’s fucked.”

“I know. It sucks a lot, but I can’t find the words. S’why it took me so long to tell you. I was so scared of hurting you... or losing you.” Mark admits quietly, his free hand knotting in the soft tufts of the rug as he figures that it’s still totally a possibility. The silence returns between them, more comfortable than earlier but still heavier than they’re used to at this point in their relationship. Mark’s breathing has slowed back to normal, but he’s nowhere near calm. And he’s hungry. 

“How do you get blood, then? Like, if you don’t murder people?” Dan frowns, taking Mark’s hand from the carpet and linking their fingers. Even if he’s completely floored by Mark’s secret, he still wants the younger man to feel safe. 

“Either by biting strangers, donations from blood banks, or feeders.”

“...what the fuck.” 

“What now?”

“The government knew you were a vampire before I, your boyfriend of almost two years, did?” Dan huffs, earning a low rumble of laughter from the pink haired man beneath his head, relieved that the tension is being broken. “What the fuck is a feeder? Is that like, a bird feeder for vampires?”

Mark shakes his head. “People close to vampires can choose to... feed them.”

“But how do they-... _holy fuck_ ,” Dan whispers, his eyes wide as he glances at Mark, “I can do that? Like, I can feed you? You can bite me and drink my blood?” 

“Dan-”

“Holy shit, that’s fucking sexy as hell! Like, I’ll have to hide bite marks and I’ll be like, your blood bank and shit, man, this is-”

“Dan, you’re not gonna be my feeder.” Mark sighs, his insides flipping as Dan gives him the most heartbroken look he’s ever seen. “I don’t trust myself to drink from people. I’ve only ever bitten three people, and it was fucking terrifying.”

“We can learn together?” Dan offers, sighing as Mark shakes his head firmly and pouting. “Be a fun vampire, Mark, please?”

“Dan, I’m being a sensible vampire. I’ll be a fun vampire when I’m well fed,” Mark hums, shutting his eyes and fighting the urge to smile as Dan moves to straddle him carefully and begins tracing his jaw slowly. “Any more questions?”

“How often d’you need to drink blood?” Dan asks quietly, watching Mark’s mouth carefully and anticipating an answer so he can look at the younger man’s canines again. He’s desperate to see if they’re actually pointier than average or if he was imagining it before. 

“I _need_ it once a week. But the more I drink, the more... sated I am. It just puts me in a better mood, and I’m more myself if I have more blood in my system.” Mark explains, opening his eyes as Dan’s fingers hold his jaw open, against his tongue, and he can’t help but blush furiously at the contact. Talking about blood has made him realise that he’s gone five days without any, and his stomach lets out a growl as he thinks about biting Dan. “It’s why vampires like feeders so much. It’s one of the reasons, at least,” the pink haired man manages around Dan’s fingers.

Dan cocks his head slightly, removing his fingers and wiping Mark’s saliva on the rug. “And it’s fresh, right? I mean, I know I’m not an expert, but fresh blood _has_ to taste better than stuff from random strangers that’s days old, right?” Dan observes, and Mark curses him mentally because he’s so right and he so wants to drink from his boyfriend. Mark nods sheepishly, resting his hands on Dan’s hips.

“Plus I’ve heard that if your feeder is a loved one, like your soul mate, it tastes like the sweetest thing you’ve ever imagined,” Mark recalls, glancing at the clock on the nightstand and chewing his bottom lip. “D’you wanna go to bed?”

Dan shakes his head and watches the rise and fall of Mark’s chest like it’s about to hypnotise him, blinking slowly and repressing a yawn. “When did you drink last?”

“Like, five days ago. I kinda need to head out tomorrow to get some of my supply,” Mark chews his lip as his stomach growls in protest, and Dan smiles softly and begins rubbing his belly again in slow, feather light circles. “We can still have sex, if you want.”

“I’ve seen you eat garlic bread.” 

Mark chuckles softly, pulling Dan down to lie atop him fully and wrapping his arms around the elder man’s waist, holding him close and pressing a kiss to his lips. “It just gives me indigestion, it doesn’t kill me. And the mirror thing is bullshit, too.”

“And the coffin thing?” Dan hums, kissing idly at Mark’s jaw when the younger man nods. “Okay, what about the whole ‘only with a stake in the heart’ thing?”

“I... actually, I’m not sure about that. I think we’re pretty much as mortal as regular people, just a little more durable. I’ll have to ask Ro-... romeone. Yep, romeone.” Mark forces, trying to ignore the raised eyebrow from Dan that totally screams ‘I’m on to you’ and kissing the elder man deeply. “C’mon, sex. I wanna get collared, Dan, I’ll even call you Master.”

“...Ross? Is Ross a fucking-... _Ross_?!” 

Mark blushes heavily and shuts his eyes, trying to figure out the best way to explain that the Australian was actually the whole reason he was a vampire in the first place. Dan picks the previously forgotten glass of water and holding it over Mark’s face, receiving a groan from the younger man as he opens his eyes. A drop of room temperature water lands on his cheek and he sighs heavily, removing his arms from around Dan’s waist to prop himself up on his elbows. 

“It’s not really my story to tell, so I can’t really do it justice. You’ll have to ask him about it. But yeah... Ross is kind of a vampire.” Mark swallows hard, half expecting the rest of the water to be tipped on his face and for Dan to leave, the other half anticipating a slap. He instead receives a flick at his neck that makes him wince, glancing up at an unimpressed looking Dan.

“Is there some kind of secret Halloween club I’m not a part of? Is Arin a werewolf? Is Suzy a witch? Is Barry a _mermaid_?”

“As far as I know, no. No one apart from Holly knows about all of this. It wasn’t really my decision to tell Holly about me, though,” Mark admits, sighing softly as Dan gives him a pointed look to continue, sipping a little water and moving to sit cross legged beside Mark. He’s not sure why they’re still on the rug. “I kind of... okay, well Ross was the one who bit me. But Holly didn’t know that anyway, but-... okay, I passed out a few months ago because I hadn’t been drinking blood regularly, and Holly found out because Ross made me stay over and drink. But I didn’t tell her, Dan, you’re the only person I’ve ever told, she knows because of-”

Mark’s ramblings are cut off by Dan’s lips against his own, a hand on his shoulder massaging slow and deep as the two men kiss idly, the shorter of them panting weakly after his panicked defences of his honesty. Dan pulls back after a while, unable to keep a smug smile from lingering on his lips at the look on Mark’s face. “It’s fine that Holly knows. She’s married to Ross, it makes sense.”

“I didn’t want you to think I was lying,” Mark mumbles, sitting up and resting his head against Dan’s shoulder. “Aren’t you mad at all?”

“I’m surprised, not mad. I’ll live, though,” Dan wraps an arm around Mark’s waist, pulling him close and pressing a kiss to his earlobe. The pink-haired man makes a noise of appreciation, his eyes fluttering closed as he relaxes against his boyfriend. “I think you need to sleep this all off. Coming out is tough work, huh?”

Mark nods against Dan, dragging himself away from the elder man to stand and pull his shirt off, dropping it to the floor, followed swiftly by his jeans. Dan watches and smiles softly as Mark drops to lie on the bed, crawling under the duvet and yawning. “Come join me?”

Dan shakes his head, standing with the glass of water and running a hand through his hair. “I have some stuff to do, I’ll be a while. Plus I have to research vampires. And maybe hit Ross.”

Mark whines and throws the duvet back, arms wide and beckoning for cuddles. “I need you, though. I can’t sleep without you suffocating me with cuddles,” Mark pouts, giving Dan the best puppy eyes he can manage. Dan rolls his eyes and starts to undress, getting a contented noise from Mark in response.

“Can I at least turn all of the lights off before I appease you?” Dan yawns, heading back into the living room when Mark nods. Ross can wait until tomorrow to get his ass kicked, Dan decides. 

“Dannyyyy, can you bring me the blanket from the couch?” Mark calls, greeted moments later by a near naked Dan with said blanket. “You’re so good to me,” he smiles as Dan climbs into bed beside him, the two of them cosying up close and tangling together, limbs entwining like it’s second nature.

“You owe me amazing sex tomorrow.”

“I know.”

**Author's Note:**

> in short, vampire mark is my fave ever?? i wanted to do a lil something for halloween, and nothing says spooky scary like cute boyfriends.


End file.
